Mutende Cultural Ensemble
 | This article needs additional information. |
Mutende Cultural Ensemble | |
|---|---|
 Mutende Cultural Ensemble at the 2017 World Sight Day commemorations in Chingola | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Buchi Township, Kitwe, Zambia |
| Genres | Kalindula |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Members | Maxwell Phiri Charles Phiri Pascal Mumba |
Mutende Cultural Ensemble is a Zambian cultural music group formed in 1978 towards the end of the Zamrock era.
History and origin
The group was started in Buchi Township in Kitwe, Copperbelt as a community theatre group and was initially called Mutende Theatre. In this capacity they used music, dance and drama to convey educational messages to the communities as per request of their booking sponsors. As such, they performed various sensitization plays, sketches and songs in school grounds, marketplaces and bus stations.[1]
By then, the group was just performing drama and poetry with its original members being Albert Sokoloni Kapwaya, Albert Nobbie Katebe, Tom Zulu, Tulani Nyathi, Boniface Simwanza, Charles Phiri and Maxwell Phiri.
As a group of innovative youths, they decided to form a drama group that became known as Mutende Theatre, which was based at the Buchi Community Hall under the Kitwe City Council.
During its earlier days, the group was also involved in football, boxing and karate.
Mutende participated in different drama festivals both at district, provincial and national levels, winning numerous coveted awards. The group also introduced a variety of cultural dances. A lot of artistes later passed through Mutende’s singing, dancing, drumming, and acting initiatives, before the group decided to venture into the music industry full time. This led to the change of name from Mutende Theatre to Mutende Cultural Ensemble,
But before the group was rebranded, some of the members were recruited into the mandatory Zambia National Service (ZNS) camp based in Kafue. Most the members later went to form a drama and cultural dance troupe while the likes of Charles remained with the outfit in Kitwe where he recruited other new members to Mutende Ensemble.
In the 1990s they decided to add popular music to their act and the band was reborn with Maxwell Phiri as their leader. Because of Kalindula’s popularity at the time and its closeness to traditional music, which they were already use to, they easily adopted it as their main genre.[2]
Career
In 1990, upon his return from the Zambia National Service, Maxwell introduced cultural dances and music, and at that point, the group started the recording of its phenomenal debut album Olo Munizonde on CD and cassette. The ten-track album was produced by Maxwell.
Most of Mutende Cultural Ensemble’s members have also worked with the likes of Masasu Band, Serenje Kalindula Band, Mulemena Boys, Junior Mulemena Boys and PK Chishala’s Amatanki Band..
Discography
- Olo Munizonde - 1990
- Zapa Banja
- Amfumu - 2010
See also
Main references
- Mutende Cultural Ensemble lives on, Zambia Daily Mail, 7 July 2017
- ↑ Zambian Music Legends p70 by Leonard Koloko
- ↑ Zambian Music Legends p70 by Leonard Koloko
